A note about semicolons...

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"I’m pretty sure when I need a comma; I’m not so sure about a semicolon."

KEITH HERNANDEZ, a former Mets first baseman who has built a devoted following on social media and written a memoir.


From the New York Times 11/05/18

Ukrainian Scouting

Vodnyj Tabir c1971 Stillwater Reservoir (I'm on the bottom right.)

In reading an interview with Sylvia Acevedo, the new CEO of Girl Scouts in America, I was reminded of the conundrum of growing up Ukrainian in America. We did not sell cookies. We had wilderness training.

Blocked

I have never experienced writer's block before, but I have now. I have not been able to write for three weeks. On the 26th of March, our nephew took his own life. Aged only 26, he had been tormented by bipolar disorder of the most severe type for several years. We can only hope he is at peace. I have now written this in his memory.

A boy no more

A little boy brimming with hope

Exuding joy from every pore.

Giggling with puppies, swimming with fish,

Bouncing balls with supernatural skill.

A young boy who wanted nothing but

To make the world a better place for all.

A young man who wanted love

For everyone and everything

And gave his freely to all he beheld.

He loved people, trees and dogs.

He loved to walk in the woods

And swim in the oceans, rivers and lakes.

A spiritual man who believed that

We are here for a higher purpose –

one we have yet to discover.

A kind and gentle spirit who

Took good care of his wellbeing

With natural sustenance and hearty lifestyle

Studied nutrition to discover how

to make the most of this body

that hosts us on our earthly journey.

He cared about all beings with a

Sensitivity that may have overwhelmed

A lesser man than our brave lad.

But the gods are cruel in their own

Cruel way. They shrouded his mind in a

Unnatural sheath that had no adjustments

And came with no instructions.

This semipermeable mem-brain, once light and happy,

Sometimes let much too much pass through,

Other times closed to let nothing in.

From on high, everything was possible.

But nothing begot nothing from below.

Doctors had no answers, only pills and potions.

But medicine didn’t fix things, only plastered over it.

On an even keel was not living.

He tried to deal with it, as only he could.

Searching for answers among those who knew.

And coming back to us from time to time

To give us a momentary glimpse
Of the young lad we knew and loved so dearly.

Yet, life grew more burdensome and

the battle proved too onerous.

Powerful demons devoured his spirit.

Drove him to the cliff’s edge in search

Of a better place, a refuge from the mind

That started out so beautiful and kind

And now was relentless in its daily assault.

What was on the other side, he reckoned,

Must be better than what he suffered here.

One attempt, then two, despite denying all, 

three was the day that we got the call

that our little boy was no more.

His soul took flight into the universe

Unbound by this earth’s crushing weight.

Fly, free spirit, fly, find peace at last. 

bipolar affective disorder

Lost in Space

I have been trying to settle down to write. All I've been able to manage is short stuff. Articles, my will, blog posts. I am avoiding the big projects. Don't know why. I am spending way too much time on social media. Small wonder given this set of statistics from Statista. What did 60 seconds look like on the Internet? Overwhelming. If I blink, I'll be lost in space forever. How will I ever break away?

Refugees

Being a child of immigrant refugees, I am perhaps particularly acutely concerned with the issues around immigration reform. Being an immigrant myself, having moved from the US to Ireland, I have a degree of understanding of what it takes to pick up and leave. I did not listen to Trump's State of the Union address but read highlights of the 80 minutes of speech making. I also read Kennedy's response. Kennedy's was so much more uniting and idealistic and hopeful. And then someone posted this poem by Brian Bilston called Refugees. It hit on something I've always said. There's no truth, only a point of view.

Great review of my novel!

Oh my, a reader has given me the greatest compliment - a 5 star review on Goodreads. I am so honored that Ellen took the time to read and review my book, The Naked Truth. She clearly read every word. Today, I am an author. I am so chuffed, over the moon. Thank you so much, Ellen.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2267302785 

"The Naked Truth reads like a fictional travel memoir with a “murderous” twist." 

Generation-D

Generation  D

I think Boomers should be renamed Generation-D, otherwise known as D-Generation.

• Our minds and bodies are degenerating
• Our political, religious and business leaders are being exposed as degenerates
• Our actions are causing degeneration of the climate and the earth

If that isn't enough... aren't we the earth's most degenerative invasive species with trigger-happy little fingers on the destruct button? Yep, Gen-D. 

Oh yeah, and they're also talking about Gen-D(igital) which transcends age and humanity. Do you get the sense that I'm feeling a little SAD?